Even though The Black Keys are one of Ohio’s most celebrated bands, I’ve never really given a lot of their work much attention. The fact that I’m still thinking about Let’s Rock when they’ve released three albums since then means I don’t really keep up. But, in searching the internet for 2024 musical releases, I was pretty pleased to see their newest work was to be titled Ohio Players and knew I would be checking it out.
I think these guys must have really needed those four or five years to recharge after Turning Blue, because they’ve just been cranking out records ever since they got back together! And as far as I can tell, none of them have been stinkers. For me, Ohio Players seemed to take on a much different quality than any of their recent past singles. This record felt like a slow drive from north to south Ohio, or back again, and I keep coming back to a fairly relaxed 60s or 70s vibe. Most of the tracks here were pretty groovy and gave me an instant serotonin boost.
There were only a few forgettable tracks on this record, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were bad. Everything else had at least one quality that popped and made it super enjoyable to listen to. I was particularly fond of the opening and closing tracks. “This Is Nowhere” screamed Ohio to me. I suppose most would consider this state a “nowhere place.” Maybe that’s just their love letter to where they’re from. otherwise, this song was low and groovy, and even if the vocals didn’t seem to have much range, it still just made me really happy to listen to. “Everytime You Leave” came away with a similar vibe, so even though nothing truly shone through, it was consistently perfect from start to finish.
A lot of tracks off the album filled me with nostalgia, like the slower tempo “On the Game.” I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help but think of getting ready for summer in the last weeks of high school. “Read Em and Weep,” was a terrific old bluesy inspired song that sounded like it belonged in a Western movie about poker players in a dusty saloon. That songs was pretty fun. I came to really appreciate “Only Love” once the guitar kicked in before the second verse. It was a nasty (good) sound that really picked the whole thing up, playing off Dan’s vocals and the harmonies perfectly. “You’ll Pay” was also super fun and reminded me a lot of Here Come the Mummies – very danceable!
Two of my other favorite songs off the record belonged to perhaps the most random songs. Now, I have no clue if The Black Keys have worked with any rappers on their albums in the past, but this one had two. The first was Lil Noid for the song, “Candy and Her Friends.” The rap part felt pretty random, but it was also so awesome. The whole song reminded me of something the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Klaxons could have released, and Lil Noid’s horrorcore rapping really added a whole other level. “Paper Crown” had an equally random rap part courtesy of Juicy J, but again, it worked! It led with a bit of a hip hop beat, so it was cool to see them end with the rap. Beck fit in seamlessly with The Black Key’s portion of the song, though I for sure thought they were saying “baby clown” until I looked at the title of the track again.
All in all, I was really glad I took the time to give this new album a listen. I’m sure the critics will tell you it’s not their best work, and it might not be, but I can appreciate this fun ride for what it was. And I think you could, too!